Combined lock-nut and bushing for connection-boxes.



r J. BITTER. COMBINED LOCK NUT AND BUSHING FOR CONNECTION BOXES.

APPLICATION FILBN'ARR. 16, 1908.

"899,906". N Patented Sept. 29.1908.

- Z4? E I E- W 1 =5- a 4 "11w, IIWITNESSESJ ENTOR WW 5sey7/a ifiiflerATTORNEYS UNITED STATES irrnnr rice.)

JOSEPH STERNER' RITTER, OF ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOH OF ONE-HALFTO GEORGE F. HUMMEL, OE ALLENTO'WN, PENNSYLYANIA.

COMBINED LOGK-NIITAND sosrnine FOR CONNECTION-BOXES.

To all whom it may concern: i

Be it known that I, JOSEPH S. RiTTEn, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Allentown, in the county of Lehigh and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a'new and pipes to the sides-of boxes, or toother plates or walls, but is especially adapted for use in securing thepipes .used in connection with electric wiringto the cross connectionboxes. 15

My invention involvesa body adapted for insertion through an opening inthe wall of a box and threaded interiorly to receive the pipe, andhaving a thin annular flange adapted to be beaded over a ring to holdthe body to the wall, to permit of a rotation thereof and to insureagood electrical contact.

Reference is to be had to the accompanyingdrawings, forminga'part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures, and in which i Figure 1 is a topplan view ofa cross connection' box having a plurality-of pipes se curedthereto by means of my improved lock nut or bushing Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section through one form of my improved device, andaportion of apipe and plate or. wall Fig. 3 is an end view of the deviceshown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 2, but showing amodified form of thedevice; Fig. 5 is an end View of the device shown inFig. 4 Fig. 6 is a view similar to'Figs. 2 and 4, but showing-a furthermodification and Fig. 7 is an end view of the device shown in Fig. 6.

My improved device is adapted for securing any kind of pipe or conduitto any form of plate or wall, but is especially designed for' use insecuring the end of a pipe-or conduit 10 to a side wall 11, or a crossconnection box 12..

The device may be in a plurality of different specific forms, butall'include the same esseirtial features. In the form shown in Figs. 1,2 and 3, this devicecomprises a body 13 having .an outer hexagonal head14, into- .riorly threaded ,to receive the end of the pipe 10: Adjacentthe hexagonal head is a cylindrical portion 15, adapted to closely fitthe aperture in the )late or wall 11 ,and at the inner end of the ody isa thin annular flange 16. In the-formation of the body, the flangeSpecification of Letters Patent. ApplicationfiledAprillfi, 1908. SerialNo. 127,352.

l i l l l racemes Sept. 29, 1908.

16 is substantially cylindrical, but is of such thickness that it may bereadily expanded. Adjacent the base of the flange l6 and so disposed asto lie flush with the outer surface of the wall 11, there is formedasho'ulder 1-7, against wlnch abuts an annular ring 18, en-

.circling the flange 16. The ring is formedas.

nearly as possible of. the same interior diameter as the exterior of theflange, and the exterior diameter of the ring is greater than thediameter of the aperture through the plate. The body 13 is also formedwith ashoulder 20. In assembling the device, the body or bushing maybe,insertedthrough the opening until the shoulder .20 engages. with thesurface of theplate. The ring 18 is then slipped onto the annular flange16, and the.

flange expanded or bent to engage with the outer-surface of the ring andpositively re-' tain the bushing against withdrawal 1' rom the plate.IVhen the box is placed in position' in the Wall, the bushingniay berotated in its opening to screw it onto the pipe and draw the pipe andbox together. In case the exact position of the bushing in the box isnot determinedfat the time the latter leaves the shop, the flange may bevery readily expanded to secure the bushing in place, after the box hasbeen secured to the wall.

The bushing forms'a goodelectrical contact with the box and pipe, sothat the latter may serve as a return for any stray electric currents,and thus prevent danger from slnn't-circuiting or poor contacts. pandedinner end of the. flange presents a roundedor curved surface whichavoids the liability of cutting the wire or scraping or removing theinsulation therefrom. The bushing may be readily rotated in the openingby the use of a wrench, and permits the pipe and box to be securedtogether without rotating either.

As previously stated, various changes may be made in the details ofconstruction without departing from the spirit of myinvention. Forinstance, it is desirable that the body have a non-cylindrical portionto permit of its being readily grasped by a wrench or' other tool, butinstead of providing an hexagonal head 14,-as shown in Figs. 1 to 3,inclusive, I may provide the outer end-of the body or bushing with asubstantially cylindrical portion 14, as shown on the body portion 13*in Figs. 4 and 5. To permit the body to be readily rotated by a tool, Iform The ex-' cated in Fig. 5.

the aperture through the body or bushing-of is separated from thecylindrical portion 13 by a shoulder 20*.

In the forms shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, the entire bushing isformed of a single piece of metal, but I may, if desired, form it of twoseparate pieces, as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. In this form, the bodyis formed of an ordinary hexagonalnut 14 and a sheet metal collar 13".formed of hexagonal shape, and receives the nut, the terminal portion ofthe collar being provided with inturned flanges 18 for gripping the nutagainst an inner flange or shoulder 19". The collar is formed with ashoulder 20', engaging with the outer surface of the plate 11, to limitits movement therethrough, and terminates in an inner flange 16 whichmay be expanded or bent outward to engage with thering 18 and locktheparts together, as well as present a curved surface over which the wiresmay pass.

Having thus described my invention, I

One end of the collar is mit of the rotation of said body, a shou der:adapted to engage with the outer surface of a side wall of said box, anexp'ansible annular flange extending through the wall, and a ringencircling said flange adjacent the inner supface of the wall and, heldin place bysaid flange upon the expansion thereof.

2.: A connecting means for securin a pipe to a plate, comprising a bodythrea ed lnto engagement with thepipe, and adapted to extend a limiteddistance through an opening in the plate, the portion extending throughsaid plate comprising a thin annular flange having an expanded innerportion,'and a ring encircling said flangeand held in engagement withthe side of the plate by the expanded inner end of the flange.

In testimony'whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses,

JOSEPH STERNER RITTER.

Witnesses CrrAnLns L. I'IOTTENSTEIN, RUTH R. ABBOTT.

